Muscles

As promised, I did in fact prepare a simple dish with mussels, after buying a 2 lb. bag and using only half of them in my paella.
But not before, well, a lot of them kicked the bucket.

And man,

These guys stink.
They made my refrigerator stink.

They made everything in my refrigerator stink.

That stank could turn milk into yogurt.

Imagine if a moribund sea creature just washed up into your crisper.

They made my ice cream smell like the ocean's rotting armpit.

Appetized?

But the several live ones really were still really fresh and good.

I just had to separate them out and scrub their shells really hard without hurling.

Damn you, land-locked state!

Just playing, Bluegrass. Y'all know I could never call anywhere else home.

Beginning and end of story, I made mussels and spaghetti with a white wine and butter sauce.
And it was good.

What an enticing aroma after your nose has been accustomed to death.

Nothing has ever tasted better.

Best enjoyed with some crusty french bread, curled up watching seasons of Arrested Development. Life's such a treat.